Nintendo bosses take big pay cuts in penance for Wii U failure
We don’t really need numbers to tell us the Wii U’s flopping, but figures released today quite clearly spell it out. Something’s gotta give at Nintendo, and that something is head honcho Satoru Iwata’s salary, and that of his chums. The AFP is reporting Iwata’s paycheck is to be cut in half, which is the same reduction he took as recompense for poor early uptake of the 3DS, while several of his execs will see a 20 to 30 percent drop. Much to the frustration of Acer’s top tier and their dwindling income, Iwata & Co’s pay cut is only a temporary measure to claw back some cash, with things changing again in July when sentences have been served. Perhaps it’s time for Nintendo to think about a move into mobile after all? There’s money to be made from apps, or so we hear.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Polygon
Source: AFP
NVIDIA’s mobile game portal now available for non-Tegra devices
Jealous of your friends’ phones packing NVIDIA chips and the access to TegraZone that they enjoy? You need not be any longer, as the game portal’s latest update means you can install it on gadgets with generic (read: non-Tegra) silicon. Plus, Android Community reports that it also adds enhanced support for the Mad Catz Project M.O.J.O. and NVIDIA Shield consoles. The update also brings achievements (thanks to Google Play Game services) and a Google+ login system that “personalizes” the application to your tastes… whatever that means. We checked the Play Store and the app was available on all of our devices — even an old LG Optimus V — but of course, your mileage may vary. Just try to not be disheartened if you see it stocked with games that your gizmo can’t run, okay?
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, NVIDIA
Via: Android Community
Source: Google Play, TegraZone
Playstation Now streaming service sends out invites for beta testing
We hope you’re ready to stream your favorite PS3 games to, well, a lot of things, because Sony is rolling out the private beta testing phase for PlayStation Now, emailing the chosen ones with a confirmation link and instructions on what’ll go down next. Those that sign up will get “exclusive access” to testing the new game streaming service as well as the ability to offer their (occasionally scathing) feedback to the PS Now team behind it all. Requirements are pretty fair too: you’ll beed a PS3 wired to the internet and a 5Mbps or higher broadband connection. In case you forgot to sign up earlier, you can catch up right here. From those we’ve heard that are getting the invites, it might be limited to the LA and DC areas: as mentioned at Neogaf, the site asks for your zip code during the sign-up process.
Source: Neogaf
CyberpowerPC stuffs full-size graphics into a tiny gaming desktop
Not interested in buying a Steam Machine this year, but still want a tiny gaming PC? Never fear — CyberPowerPC has just released the Zeus Mini, its latest take on a conventional small computer with full-sized performance. The system is just 4.4 inches thick and 18 inches deep, but it has room for fast video cards like AMD’s R9 290 or NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 780. You’ll also find a high-end AMD Kaveri or Intel Haswell processor inside, and there’s space for a large liquid cooling system if you insist on a silent rig. Zeus Mini prices start at $599 for a basic variant with a 3.7GHz AMD A10 chip and integrated graphics, but demanding players can shell out $1,479 for a flagship model with a 3.5GHz Core i7 and GTX 780 video.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, AMD, Intel, NVIDIA
Source: CyberpowerPC
Nintendo denies smartphone software rumor, says it has ‘no plans’ to offer mini-games on rival hardware
Nintendo? Making games for other hardware? Not so fast. Nikkei’s widely reported tale of Mario et al. coming to a smartphone near you is unlikely to happen — at least in the way we were all half-hoping for. The company has told Engadget that it has no plans to offer “mini-games” on smartphone platforms, reiterating its CEO’s statements in prior financial reports that touched on using smart devices to better promote its games, characters and hardware. You’ll just have to wait for that briefing from Iwata-san, later this week, to discover exactly how the company plans to grab a few more coins. The full statement follows below:
“Nikkei’s article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo’s willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products.
However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo’s intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices. “
Rumors suggest Amazon’s game console project is still alive
No matter how many times Amazon denies that it’s developing a set-top box, the rumors continue to pop up once every six months or so. VG 24/7 is reporting that the company is still working on an Android games console that’ll retail for “below $300.” Based on gossip from game publishers, the latest indication is that Amazon’s product team, Lab 126, has designed a grey oblong similar in size to the PSOne, designed to play both games and Instant Video / Lovefilm content to your HDTV. With rumors of a pay TV service and a future product that’s “bigger than Kindle” currently swirling around, we can see how this looks plausible. That said, $300 seems an unlikely price for Amazon to target, when Apple TV and the Roku 3 are so much cheaper, and when other Android consoles are showing only lukewarm demand, so there’s still plenty of room for skepticism.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon
Source: VG 24/7
Nintendo reportedly planning mini-games and content for its biggest rival: the smartphone
Japanese newspaper Nikkei has a generally good record for getting the scoop on Nintendo, and this one could be pretty important. According to this report, Nintendo will announce plans to create “progressive” content for smartphones — the very devices that many reckon is chipping away at the company’s casual gaming audience. We won’t be seeing a full-length iteration of a Zelda title, but it could include background stories (video content is mentioned), offer a tour of in-game worlds and (least interestingly) the very latest news on retail games headed to Nintendo’s own hardware. Mini-games would introduce new characters and, as Nintendo has apparently told it to Nikkei, would be free to try, at least for a short period.
The report adds that Nintendo will hold off on paid-for games and in-app purchase, instead hoping that its smart device morsels would whet the appetite for full-version — full-price — console game purchases. CEO Satoru Iwata had already mentioned late last year that the company needed to “take advantage of [smartphones’] existence.” Nintendo hasn’t confirmed or denied the report yet: we reached out for comment earlier today. Nikkei says that Nintendo will announce these plans later this week, when Iwata-san discusses the game maker’s Q3 financial results. (Spoilers: there’s going to be some bad news.)
Source: Nikkei (Japanese)
GTA: San Andreas now available for (some) Windows Phones weeks late
Rockstar Games’ promise of an early January launch for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on Windows Phone devices may’ve been a bit off — the game just arrived on the Windows Phone store today, as spotted by CNET. The game carries a $7 price tag and works on a handful of WP8 devices (the HTC 8XT and Nokia Lumias 1520, 1320, 822, 820 and 810); it’s got the same touch-based, contextual controls that the iOS and Android versions employ. Should the Caricature Compton of Carl Johnson’s San Andreas entice you, you can snag it right here.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia
Via: CNET
Source: Windows Phone Store
Microsoft buys Gears of War franchise, new game in development
Microsoft now owns another major franchise tied to its Xbox game consoles: Gears of War. That includes “rights to all existing and future games, entertainment experiences and merchandise,” and it looks like a new game (likely for Xbox One) is already in production at Black Tusk Studios in Canada (Microsoft actually teased that news back at E3 2013 during the company’s press briefing). The franchise’s former director of production, Rod Fergusson, will take on oversight.
The Gears of War franchise was exclusive to the Xbox 360 (and later on PC as well), and Unreal Engine developer Epic Games used the third-person shooter series to show off its engines graphical chops. Beyond being a graphical showcase, however, Gears of War developed a loyal following among online console gamers — last year’s Gears of War: Judgment was the first entry in the franchise co-developed by Epic and Bulletstorm dev People Can Fly, and it was expected to be the final entry in the series.
Beyond a new entry in the massively popular shooter franchise, we expect re-issues (perhaps prettied up re-issues) will happen at some point (a la Tomb Raider‘s “Definitive” Edition). At very least, Gears fans can rest assured that more tales of meaty space marines taking down locust are on the way care of Microsoft.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Rare NES game sells for nearly $100,000, even rarer one appears online
Remember the ratty copy of Nintendo World Championships that popped up on eBay earlier this week? After a fast and furious auction, the ultra-rare cartridge sold for a staggering $99,902. Naturally, such eye-watering figures have prompted two more collectors to sell their prized possessions online. First up, there’s a mint-condition grey edition with an intact label, but if you’re not fussed about stickers, then there’s the even rarer gold edition up for grabs. Considering that only 26 of the 116 cartridges were gold, produced specifically for Nintendo Power prize winners, it’s an even rarer find for the 8-bit enthusiast. If you missed out on a chance to bid for the original and want a do-over, then perhaps this is your lucky day.
[Image credit: mtnlife, eBay]
[Thanks, Danny]
Source: Gold (eBay), Gray (eBay)
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